This November the Cultural Learning Alliance are leading an innovative week of linked events across the country to celebrate the richness and strength of cultural learning in England and ignite debate about key issues across the education and cultural sectors.

To ensure you have maximum opportunities to get involved, no matter where you live in the country, The Big Link-Up format is a unique concept that will involve four core routes of participation:

• - The Big Link-Up National Event – Bringing together cultural learning leaders and decision-makers to discuss how to maintain and further this activity for children and young people
• - The Link-Up Events – Inviting cultural learning supporters to organise concurrent Link-Up Events in their local areas to bring cultural practitioners, teachers and leaders together, linked to the national event
• - Assembly Events – Inviting schools across the country to celebrate cultural learning and link-in to the conversation by organising their own Assembly Events
• - Live Stream – The final route of participation is to watch The Big Link-Up National Event online

This collection of events will link-up to produce a week-long conversation that connects culture and learning across the country providing a nationwide platform for The Big Link-Up.

Contact is a pioneering theatre venue in Manchester. The building includes three theatre spaces – Space 1, a 350 seat end-on theatre; Space 2, an 80 seat flexible studio, and Space 3, a rehearsal, workshop and performance space. We also create performances and events in our ‘lounge’ area, which has a stage, a bar, and plenty of room to dance! And our website is a space for debate, artistic showcases, insight into our processes, and sharing of ideas.

Our focus in on young adults (ages 13-30). The majority of our audiences come from this age group, though we welcome audiences and artists of all ages.

Participation is at the heart of our work, and we run a huge range of activities where young people and artists can join in, learn and develop. These activities range from outreach projects with a wide range of communities, to drop in sessions, to intensive artistic development programmes such as our Young Actors and Young Writers groups.

Young people are also encouraged to become involved in planning and decision making at Contact through a range of opportunities including our Open Contact forum and our Action Contact groups.

Contact provides a wider range of development opportunities for artists, with a particular focus on emerging artists. We run residencies, training courses, and we provide a lot of support and advice.